Clamp



May 10 1927' c. E. HATHAWAY CLAMP 1. 1924 2 sneets-sheet 2 Filed Nov.

Inven 07" Patented May 10, 1927.

CHARLES E. `HTHAWAY, QF

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T CUDDY- .GARDNER COMEPANFY, 0F EFRGWVlSDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION QFRHODE ISLAND.

CLAMP.

Application` :filed November 1, 1924. Serial No. 747,188.

:The ,present` invention relatesto display devices, and more particularly to racks for displaying linoleum rugs and the like,

Nogreat ditliculty is experienced in tbe display of woven rugs. According ,to the ipractioe which besmet with iiniversaltavor, `aniendwof the rug is simply impaled upon a plurality of Lpins, that stand up vertically a supportuii` arm, and the arm is `then raised, exposing t e rug to full View insuspended condition. `But a brittle material like linoleum can `not be handled in any such way. The pins would puncture the rug; .and `if the pins be replaced by some ,other `holding means, care must be taken that auch holding meansfshiall not fracture the .Linoleuin.` Even if a yery `slight indentation orother mark is produced, the rug can no longer be `sold ,as `a inst-quality article. The` act of suspending the rugwtoo, is liable to cause cracking of the linoleuin if it is not properly hield `aiidytlgie holding means properly raised. The ditli'cultiesl attendant upon the problem will ,be ap .reciaited from the :fact that the` only mitllo of displayinoY Linoleum `rugs that has hitherto been used successfiilly isito `roll them u and `to stand `the .resulting rolls up on enc, side by side. Naturally .only ia `Mery snaall portion of the rug can be displayed inthisnianner.

`The chief objectief ,the `present invention, therefore, is to ,provide `-a novel `display rack `particularly adapted for aise `izvitli linole'um rugs and` similar articles. A further object is to provide a novel clamp. (.)ther and `tiiii'ther objects will be `eiqolained hereinafter `and Willibe partioularly pointed out in the appended claims. y

In the accompanying drawings, lifig. 1A 4is a side elevation partly broken away, and with parts in section, of a display device constructed` according to a preferred embodiy nient of the present inventill; Fig 2 l `broken plan ot `the same, showing portions 'r' ofthe .mechanism as occupying ,two posi- `tions, one in full liinessiind the `other in `dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a broken front elevation ot a preferred clamp, nipona larger scalethan Figs. 1 rand 2; Fig. `4 is a eorresponding near elevation` of the same; 5 is a side elevation ,ofwthesama looking from the left of Fig. 3, upon a further enlanged scale; and Fig.

upon the lines 6 1-6 o Fig. l, looking in the longer than, the edge 40.

6 is` ,a section taken arrows, upon the saine scale `rug 42 is suitably mounted upon an Yarm 7,

and the arm 7 .is then moved away to cause the rug to open out to full view. It is preferred to have the ai'in 7 horizontal and to move it upward, so as to cause the rug to hang downward from theedge 40. Care should be taken not to crack `or otherwise injure the fabric during the raising and lowering of the arm 7. The raisingandlowering mechanism that is illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,068,050, granted July Q2, 1913, to Gardner and Chase has been found to op crate admirably, aiidis therefore illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawings. As the present `invention is not restrictedto the use of such specific ,mechanisimit will not be further described herein, reference being `inade to the said Letters Patent for a `tilll description.

`Of `greater importance than the use et a suitable raising-and-lo\vering mechanism is the deyice employed for `mounting the rug upon thearm 7. In fact, this mounting device may, in some cases, be employed upon la stationary .arm 7. According to the prew erred embodiment of the invention that is `,herein illustrated and described, lthe margin 40 of the rug is clamped between tivo jaws, eaeh in the form of `a strip as long as, oi'

The strips are preferably constituted of sheet nietiil. One of the strips is provided with a body portion 4:4 yandimaiginal flanges 4G and 48 disposed longitudinally of thestrip and bent out of the plane of the strip in opposite dilecti'ons at 50 and `52, respectively. The langesgl and 48 extend ti'oiii the lines oit bend 5() `and `5&2 preferably at aii incline to the plane ot the strip, as shown iiioic par `ticiilal'ly iii Figs. and 6. The other strip is also proviilod with flanges 5l aud o6, bciit at 58 and 60, respectively, out ot the plane ,body portion I(i2, ,preferably in the saine direction. The flange 54 is bent into substantial parallelism with the body portion 62, preferably into contact therewith, to

stiften the strip. The Harige 54 thus projects beyond the body portion 62. The other `flange 56 also provides a stifening action.

Dil

' longitudinally as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, when clamping a rug between them. The clamping survface is thus extended throughout a considerable area of both strips, preventing the cutting and biting into the rug that would otherwise obtain. As the strips are made of sheet metal, furthermore, the clamping action is more or less resilient, despite the large clamping area. The resiliency of the clamping effect is increased by the inclined position of the strip 48. Loosening of the clamp, due to its resiliency, is, however, prevented by the stiffening action provided by the flanges 54 and 56. A very effective vclamp is thus provided, that clamps the margin of the linoleum rug over a comparatively large area, with a substantially uniform pressure, exerted resiliently, that results in very firmly holding the rug without any danger of causing injury thereto.

This desired result is broughtabout, notwithstanding the fact that the means for clamping the strip jaws together must be situated between the lines of bend 50 and 52 and entirely above the edge of the clamped margin l0 of the rug, as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6. The clamping means comprises a plurality of headed bolts 66, extending through longitudinally spaced, oppositely disposed, openings in the strips. lVing nuts 68 are threaded upon the bolts to clamp the strips together.v

The strips are provided with additional, spaced, oppositely disposed, openings 70, positioned between the flanges. The arm T is provided with correspondingly positioned projections 72 that are adapted to be received within the openings 70. The openings 70 and the projections 72 provide a convenient means for mounting the clamp upon the arm T. The openings 70 have a lower portion of larger width than the 11p-- per portion, shown more particularly in Figs. 8 and ft. rl`he projections 72 may con veniently take the form ol" headed screws. rFhe heads o'l the screws are ol larger diameter than the width ot the upper portions of the openings 70 but smaller than the width of the lower portions. Vhen the clamps are mounted in position upon the arm 7, therefore, as illustrated in Fig. l, the heads of the screws 72 prevent their accidental removal. Intentional removal of' the clamps may be effected by merely lifting near-,tez

the clamps to position the heads of the screws PQ opposite to the larger portions ol" the openings 70.

As will be clear from an inspection ofV Fig. 6, the linoleum clamp is supported on one side of the arm 7. A. second series olf projections Tel is provided on the other side ol the arm '7, adapted to support a second clamp, Fach arm T may thus support twv, rugs, visible from opposite sides ot the arm. As is illustrated in Fig. Q, as many arms 7 may be mounted, side by side., as is desired each supportingr two rugs. The armsv T may be swung away from one another about pivYA otal points E2, as indicated in dotted lines, to afford a view of any particular rug. 'lhe compact, substantially flat, arrangement ot the clamp strips permits a corresponding compact arrangement of the arms 7, neither the clamps nor the rugs supported thereby interferring with one another during the pivotal movement of the arms 7 about the pivotal points 2.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the exact embodiment r thereof that is illustrated and described herein, but that modifications may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from its spirit and scope, It is there` fore desired that the appended claims be broadly construed, except in so 'fiar as limitations may be imposed by the state of the art.

What is claimed is:

l. A clamp comprising two sheet-metal strip jaws, one of the strips being provided with a body portion and marginal [langes disposed longitudinally ot the strip and bent out of the plane of the body portion o'l the strip in opposite directions at an incline to the plane ot' the strip, the other strip having marginal flanges bent out of. the pl ane ot the strip in the same direction, one ol' the lastnamed flanges being bent into substantial parallelism with the strip, and means longitudinally disposed of the strips for clamp-- ing the strips together with the line olf bend between one of the llanges and the body portion of the lirst-named strip in clamping engagement with the second-named flange of the second-inamed .sl rip a nd with the edge ot" the other flange ol the [irai-named strip in engagement with an iuterniediatie portion ol the second-inlined strip, (be. eiaunping ineam; being positioned between the said line ol bend and the edge ol the said other (lange ot the lirst-named sl rip, and the :1t rips being provided with oppositely disposed openings longitudinally spaced intermediate the flanges adapted to receive correspondingly spaced projections of a frame, whereby the clamp is adapted to be supported by the frame.

2. A clamp comprising two sheet-metalstrip jaws, one of the strips being provided with a body portion and marginal llanges l ou disposed longitudinally of the strip and bent out of the plane of the body portion of the strip in opposite directions at un incline to the plane of the strip, the other strip having marginal fizinges bent out of the plane of the strip in the same direction, one of the last-named flanges being bent into substantial parallelism `with the strip, and means for clamping the strips together with the line of bend between one of the fianges and the body portion of the first-named Strip in clamping engagement with the second-named flange of the second-named strip Ind with the edge of the other flange of the firstnemed strip in engagement with an intermediate portion of the second-named strip.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my naine this 27th day of October, 1924.

CHARLES E. HATHAWAY. 

